[1] The musical is based on the 1953 novel by Roy Chanslor, that also inspired the 1954 film of the same name which starred Joan Crawford in the lead role.
Though Vienna is the ultimate ‘bad girl gone good,’ her nemesis, the pent-up Emma, sees things differently.
A domineering cattle baroness, Emma controls the town with an iron fist but loses her grip when she falls for the dangerously hot-headed Dancin’ Kid.
By the time Johnny Guitar, a tall manly stranger with a secret past rides into town, the stage is set for an epic showdown, unlike anything the Old West or Off-Broadway has ever seen.
[5] The original production started previews on March 9, 2004, at the Century City Center for the Performing Arts.